


Sunflower

by LaDiDah



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, Harry is actually a really good dancer, M/M, Romantic Comedy, Tumblr: 1000feelingschallenge, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 16:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11189262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDiDah/pseuds/LaDiDah
Summary: 'Of course I can dance,' Harry scoffed, looking at Niall like he had lost his mind. Possibly he had, who knows how many golf balls had landed on that head.Niall clicked his tongue, 'Nope, you really can't'.Harry did a weird shuffle tap move and Niall just looked embarrassed to be witnessing it.'Why did nobody tell me?' Harry whispered, was his whole life a lie?





	Sunflower

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, as ever, to Tabitha who puts up with my poor punctuation and whining. 
> 
> Prompt: 806: The rather solitary confidence that you're a really good dancer.

'Of  course I can dance,' Harry scoffed, looking at Niall like he had lost his mind. Possibly he had, who knows how many golf balls had landed on that head.

Niall clicked his tongue, 'Nope, you really can't'.

Harry did a weird shuffle tap move and Niall just looked embarrassed to be witnessing it.

'Why did nobody tell me?' Harry whispered,  was his whole life a lie ?

'We were in a band known for being terrible dancers,' Niall shrugged, 'remember? We would bounce around a lot and throw water at everyone?'

'Of course I remember,' Harry huffed, 'but that was a band thing, by myself , I'm pretty good'.

'You barely walk in a straight line,' Liam said, popping up from the couch and rubbing his eyes from his nap.

'Excuse me , Liam!' Harry said, 'I have long legs, it's harder for me'.

'I think it's just you,' Niall mused, throwing a kernel of popcorn into Liam's mouth. Liam blew Niall a kiss and rested his face on the pillow, looking up at them.

'You aren't very co-ordinated,' Liam continued, 'it's nothing personal, we can't all dance as well as me '.

Harry rolled his eyes, 'You dance like Magic Mike, shoving your cock in people's face and gyrating isn't dancing - shut-up'.

'You do the flower sway,' Niall pointed at him, eyes lighting up.

At Harry's bemused face Niall demonstrated, putting his feet together and swaying cutely from side to side.

'I don't look like that!' Harry said, 'I look cool!'.

'Nah, it's dead on,' Liam said, 'you kinda look like a sunflower in the breeze'.

Harry had to ignore the ping of joy this gave him,  _a sunflower in the breeze how beautiful_ ,  to focus on the facts.

'Louis' told me I'm a great dancer!' he folded his arms and lifted his chin.

Liam and Niall exchanged looks then burst into laughter.

'What? Stop laughing, he did!'

'In between the sheets, maybe.' Liam wheezed.

'Or a lie to get you into bed,' Niall added, quite meanly in Harry's opinion.

They would never, ever lie to each other for sex. Maybe he told a little white lie when he said he hadn't noticed the  chocolate lube looked a bit like ...well that's neither here or there. He wouldn't tell Harry a lie about something important, like this!

'He wouldn't lie,' Harry said. 'Why would he?'

'He's whipped, mate'.

'Because he's whipped?'

Both men talked over each other at the same time and then Niall skidded closer to Liam to high-five him.

'He's not whipped!' Harry frowned.

'Who's whipped?' Louis banged the door open and strolled in, kicking off his shoes and pressing a kiss to Harry's cheek.

'You are!' Liam muttered,  swiveling to turn on the TV.

' Happily ,' Louis smiled, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist, 'I'd do anything for m'boy'.

Harry melted, 'and that's why I'm marrying you,' he beamed, ignoring Liam and Niall who were now pretending to be sick.

'You two can leave anytime,' Louis announced, turning Harry around in his arms and pressing a line of kisses up his throat,  'I think I'm going to take this gorgeous man to bed '.

They soon departed, well accustomed to being thrown out. Much later, after Louis had fallen asleep, his hair a hopeless mess and bite marks on his collarbones, Harry sent a text.

** I will prove to you I can dance, just wait and see! **

And then, because he felt uncomfortable, another.

** All the love, H. **

Nick, as ever, was the most game to accompany him. He even arrived on time, clutching a gym bag.

As they embraced Harry smiled, this was going to be amazing.  He been recommended Claudia by a mutual friend, as Harry had asked around about dance lessons. Claudia was a salsa pro and had even choreographed a few Strictly routines. This would just involve him twirling and shaking his hips - easy!

It was not easy . Harry was bent over, wheezing as Nick ran for his inhaler.

'Now the warm up is over , shall we begin?' Claudia asked, Nick just shot her a withering look as Harry puffed away, sweat dripping down his neck. _The warm up!?_

'This is not as fun as it looks ,' Nick said, standing on his tiptoes to peak into the next room. Harry knew a men-only Yoga session was going on, one he often attended himself. He was expecting Nick to eagerly volunteer to attend that with him next time he went. 

Salsa was harder than it looked, Claudia looked amazing with her perfect posture and sensual movements as she swayed with Nick. Harry felt like a puppet when he took his turn with Claudia, wobbling as he tried to dip her.

'Salsa is not just about shaking your bum,' Claudia explained when they took a break, stretching out her calf muscles. 'You have to have perfect timing. rhythm, musicality'.

'I'm musical!' Harry said, straightening up , taking a gulp of water.

'Singing isn't the same.' Claudia said, 'and you've improved'.

' I'm normally excellent at dancing, this must be an off day ,' Harry said, 'Even Nick is better than me!'

If Nick wasn't so busy checking out the cute  blond  doing downward facing dog he would have been affronted.

'You only fell twice!' Claudia winced, 'and Nick's toes will heal'.

'Eventually,' Nick raised an eyebrow, 'but Louis' feet are tiny, you may crush his'.

'I thought I had a Latin soul,' Harry sighed, 'the pulse of passion running through my veins,' he attempted a simple sway forwards and stumbled.

Claudia coughed and started the music again, 'So, a five, six, seven eight'.

Nick had put him off, Harry decided. He was too tall and too judgemental. He asked Niall to accompany him to his next lesson, figuring his sunny attitude would encourage him. Niall had taken some convincing, Harry hadn't known golf clothes were so expensive, but they were finally on their way.

' So, are we jiving like today?' Niall asked, taking a sip from his smoothie and tapping on the car window with the other hand.

'What do you mean?'

'Like, do we need to learn the basics first?'

'I know the basics Niall! I've watched Grease with Lou about a million times!'

Harry turned up the radio and ignored Niall's scoff.

 

Maria and Keith were a bit eccentric, to say the least. Harry wondered if they had always been like that, dressed up in their 50's getup, just waiting to meet each other, it was quite sweet to think about.

Maria had fallen in love with Niall, calling him an angelic beauty so  she had grabbed him as her partner, leaving Harry with Keith who looked quite put out to be losing his wife.

Keith raised an eyebrow as Harry held out his hands.

'Can you jive , lad?'

'I'm sure I can, I'm a natural,' Harry smiled encouragingly and Keith relented, taking his hands and instructing him how to do a proper box step.

'Stop looking down.'

'I am looking up.'

'You just did it again,' Keith grumbled, looking over as Maria and Niall  giggled and spun.

'My legs are quite long,' Harry explained, 'so I need to keep an eye on them'.

Keith gave him a eye roll Gemma would have been proud of.

They awkwardly bumped knees as they moved back and forth. Harry even tried a kick but he ended up kicking Keith's ankle and received a glare.

Keith next demonstrated an underarm turn and chasse, but Harry got stuck and found his hair attached to Keith's glasses lanyard.

'Ouch!' Harry yelped as Keith pulled back.

'Oh for goodness sake,' Keith tutted, 'Stop moving, I can't reach it properly.'

'My hair!'

'What about your hair, my glasses are getting bent. The curl will grow back'.

The music abruptly cut off and Harry and Keith, still connected, twisted to look up. Niall and Maria were looking at them pityingly.

'Oh dearie,' Maria sighed, 'I don't think jiving is for you - have you tried another style of dance? '

Harry whimpered as Keith finally pulled away -  he would have to ask Louis to check for a bald spot late r. 'But I'm a great dancer!'

Harry sat slumped in front of the television. Not sulking of course.

'Babe?' Louis called, coming into the room and frowning, 'what's the matter?'

'Nothing,' Harry said, 'just a wedding thing'.

Louis settled down next to him, resting his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry moved his hand from underneath his legs so he could card his fingers through Louis' soft hair.

'It's kind of my wedding too,' Louis teased, his voice hushed and just for them.

'I know that, but it's a surprise.' Harry said, regretting his words the minute he saw Louis perk up.

'Ooh, tell me,' Louis asked, turning his face so he could work his puppy-eyes on Harry.

Harry closed his eyes tightly, 'not looking, those eyes won't work on me Tomlinson'.

Louis huffed, 'Soon  you'll  be a Tomlinson anyway'.

Harry beamed.

'Soon,' he told him, kissing the top of his head. 'But until then let a man have his secrets'.

Liam hadn't been too keen, especially after Niall caught wind of it and had spammed them with pictures of Liam dressed up as his character from Best Song Ever, pink sweatbands and all.

'Ballet?'

'It's a kind of dance, I'm trying to find my groove , Liam! Help me find it' Harry  pleaded . Liam still looked very sceptical.

'Plenty of rappers do ballet,' he lied, ignoring the taxi driver's chuckle from the front seat.

'Partition please,' he asked, watching as it slowly wound up.

' Jay Z totally does it with Blue Ivy !' he continued, feeling relieved when Liam looked interested.

'Kanye might even do it with Kim - who knows!'.

Liam sighed, scratching his beard. 'Fine, I will try it. But if I don't like it?'

'You never have to come back,' Harry promised, 'I just want the support, what if I turn into a principle ballerina?'

Harry could imagine it, jumping resplendently in the air with everyone shocked and amazed.  _ Wow, your husband sure can dance, _ they would say to Louis who would be unable to take his eyes off his impeccable posture and  enviable figure in his tights .

Harry was disappointed he didn't even get offered a tutu, but only a grey leotard. He gamely put it on, wincing as he tugged it over his thighs, feeling the hairs on his legs poke through.

'I don't feel very attractive right now,' he admitted, closing the locker and turning to face Liam. Irritatingly, Liam actually looked quite good, a bit like a circus strongman but still hot.

'You didn't say anything about a leotard,' Liam complained, twisting this way and that to see himself in the mirror.

'Are you done?' Joseph asked from the door, stifling a laugh. For a ballet dancer he looked quite short, but when he moved you could see it, he moved like silk. After a few lessons, Harry would probably move like that too.

'I think so, shall we start with pirouettes?' Harry chirruped, aiming to be positive. Liam just grunted but followed regardless.

Harry started to feel sorry for his pigeon-toed feet after the 11th time Joseph had criticised them, calling them an aberration.

'Here,' he said, bending down and yanking Harry's feet apart. 'Now try first position again'.

Harry wobbled but managed to hold the position, smiling at Liam who gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

'It needs to look effortless, like breathing.' Joseph explained, mirroring Harry's pose and looking like a statue.

Harry began to sway and Joseph steadied him, 'lets try third now? You can't go wrong with that.'

A&E was quite busy on a Saturday morning, with nauseous teenagers shrugging off a bad night and pensioners tutting as toddlers ran by them, knocking over the magazines.

'Could be worse,' Harry said, biting his bottom lip and looking at his plaster cast. It needed Louis' smiley face on it.

Liam rolled his eyes, 'How Harry? The wedding is months away, this cast will barely be off before you are walking down the aisle!'

'I will be able to walk by then!' Harry declared, smiling at a toddler who wandered by, staring curiously at the tattoos adorning his arms.

'I think it's time you toned down this whole dance thing,' Liam advised, 'what does it matter?'

'It matters!' Harry replied, 'I am a good dancer, I just haven't found my style yet.'

 

'You're not still worried about the wedding, are you?'

Louis' voice was soft, and his hand stroked comfortably up and down Harry's back.

Harry shrugged, 'It's complicated'.

'What is? We show up, stick a suit on and cut the cake'. Louis rolled onto his stomach, resting his head on Harry's collarbone.

'It's not that easy,' Harry said, blowing a long steady stream of air onto Louis' face, smiling as Louis scrunched up his face.

'It really is , sweetheart,' Louis said.

Harry took his next class by himself, figuring his friends were putting him off. He wasn't sure how this had become so important to him, so all-consuming. He just felt that he needed to prove this to himself, he could dance and he wouldn't embarrass himself, or more importantly Louis, when they had their first dance in front of everyone. Ideally he would dip Louis low into his arms and Louis would swoon, outrageously impressed and adoring. Everyone would Ooh and Aah and it would become a legend.  Remember the Tomlinson's first dance? Now _that_ was magical.

'Harry?'

Harry looked up.

'You are Harry , right? Here for chair aerobics?'

Harry smiled and  offered a hand. The woman beamed at him, ignoring his hand and leaning over to hug him, maneuvering around the cast.

'Aren't you a cutie,' she said, 'we don't usually get them so cute here'.

'Watch it Laura,' an older man said, winking at Harry.

'Well, not you of course , Ned,' she relented, 'But Harry here,  if I was twenty years younger...'

Harry figured maybe 40 years, and well, not a woman, but he just gamely smiled anyway.

'I'm taken,' he moved his hand, laughing as everyone came forward to exclaim over his beautiful ring. Louis had got it in Rome, from a tiny antique jewellers near the Trevi fountain. He had snuck out one morning, crept back into bed after purchasing it; then cajoled Harry into visiting the fountain early before the crowds appeared; he had given Harry a coin and asked him to make a wish. When Harry opened his eyes,  Louis was on one knee.

'What a ring!' one lady said, taking off her glasses to get a better look.

'We're getting married in the Spring,' Harry smiled, feeling a rush of joy just thinking about it. 'Louis is wonderful'.

'Louis? What a pity,' a man said. Harry looked at him askance, 'Oh no, you would be a perfect match for my grandson'.

Chair aerobics was actually pretty hardcore. Once Laura had made everyone stop fussing over Harry and get onto their chairs, the legwarmers came out, people started stretching with eyes full of determination.

Harry gulped.

'5..6...7...8' Laura cried, and everyone started to move, their feet crossing over whilst they fist pumped to the music.

Harry made a good start, but soon got mixed up and started knocking his good leg into his bad one.

'Maybe take it easy?' Ned said next to him, his neon yellow headband already damp.

Harry frowned. This was a class for the elderly for goodness' sake.

'I'm fine,' he said, giving Ned a thumbs up.

The next move involved lifting yourself off the chair whilst head-bobbing. This wasn't much easier, the cast was weighing down his legs and the recent muscle he had packed on made him surprisingly heavy. He sort of wobbled up and down.

Whilst they took a breather, everyone grabbing a drink or chatting Harry tried to hide his disappointment. If he couldn't even do this, what was he going to do? He wouldn't be able to use any of these moves, and he certainly wasn't becoming more confident or improving his timings or skills.

'I've been married for 50 years,' Ned told him, the crinkles beside his eyes making him think of Louis.

'Wow,' Harry said, 'that's really amazing'.

'It's lucky,' Ned shrugged, 'I was lucky to find her, everyone in the town wanted to take her out. She was clever and beautiful, she still is mind you, and she picked me. Plain old Ned. She said that everyone else wanted to compliment her, or show her off. I was the only one who made her laugh. It's so important lad'.

Harry nodded.

'Life gets really tough and some days you can't stand the sight of them. Marriage isn't like the movies or books, it's the same dinner every night or watching your children grow older. But if you can find something to laugh at, laugh together;  it makes everything bearable'.

'Thank you,' Harry said, taking his hand, 'No, really, you've really helped me.'

The wedding had been amazing. Anne and Jay had cried so much there were fears of dehydration, and Niall had been drunk since about 11am. The food had been delicious and the lights had been dimmer to set the mood for the reception.

Harry gulped. This was it.

'Um, hi' he said, waving. Everyone looked up, wondering why Harry was up on the stage with the microphone.

'Not another speech,' Gemma groaned, 'I can't take much more sappiness.' Lottie hummed in agreement, pouring them both  another glass of rose.

'I just wanted to do something, well a surprise' Harry continued, Louis looking at him with a look of fond bemusement. It suited him quite well.

Harry felt sick. Everyone was staring at him, and he desperately didn't want to  disappoint anyone. The room suddenly felt huge, and it felt like everyone was whispering. Maybe this was a bad idea. Then he saw Louis smile up at him. 'Go on then , sweetheart' he shouted, as the music began to play.

His first move was a classic. He raised one hand, palm up and popped a hip. Harry then stuck out his left arm, beckoning the traffic forward.

The crowd went mad, making Harry laugh, cheeks dimpling. This was serious, he reminded himself, schooling his face into a more stern expression.

The next move was a fluid mix of Louis' patented hip thrust and his own pirouettes. This neatly led into a fast two step forward, his arms pumping madly.

'Go on Haz,' Liam yelled, punching his arm into the air.

Harry took a deep breath, moving his upper body from side to side, his hips doing the opposite timing. That was a tricky one. This lead nicely into a shoulder shimmy, head bopping to the beat. With his hands raised above his head he swayed from side to side, twisting his wrists and feeling like Lana del Rey.  Seeing Doris and Ernest mimicking his moves gave him confidence and he flashed them a beaming smile before moving onto the famous canoe paddle which flowed into the elbow flick.  Sensing it was time to wind it up, you  could  have too much of a good thing, and he was hungry for some wedding cake; he began the booty shake to wolf whistles and cheering.  His final move was a duet, as he turned back to face everyone, flung his hand in the air as if he was lassoing and aimed for his new husband. Game as ever, Louis mimed being stuck, dragging his feet closer and closer as Harry tugged his invisible rope.

Louis came into kissing distance, fluttering his eyelashes and adopting a truly terrible American accent. 'Now ya caught me, my darlin' spouse, whatever are you gonna do wit' me?'

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please leave a comment or kudos if enjoyed :)


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